How to feel completely organized for back-to-school

Some of us may be in denial about it, but the Labour Day long weekend is this week, which means summer is unofficially over and school season is just about to begin. While you may have your bases covered with school supplies and new clothes, have you thought about getting your home organized for back-to-school? A few little preparations around the home will have your entire family ready, and your week stress-free.

Create a workspace: Do you have functional workspaces setup yet? This doesn’t mean you have to go out and buy a new desk if you don’t have one, but be sure to have some designated workspaces setup properly. Having a workspace that functions will mean including: shelving, adequate work supplies, storage areas and perhaps even additional organizational tools like cork boards, etc. This space should be somewhere distraction-free, whether that’s a bedroom, office or other room in your home, make sure it’s setup for productivity (no TVs around, etc.).

De-clutter: There are a few places in your home you’ll want to concentrate on when it comes to de-cluttering, and you should start with the bedrooms. Make sure anything you or your kids don’t need, isn’t in the bedroom. Excess clutter is a distraction and takes up space that could be better put to use for organization. The second place you’ll want to focus attention on is any workspaces. A workspace can have everything you need, but it won’t do you any good unless it’s de-cluttered from the start.

Setup files for the kids: Set your kids up with boxes or folders that will help them organize everything they need for each class. This is a good place to keep homework, assignments, reference materials and more, all organized in an easy place. We found some great ideas on file organization for the home on Pinterest.

Use a large calendar: Utilize a large calendar, somewhere where your whole family can see it. This calendar will help you keep track of everyone’s events, extra-curricular activities and more. To make things even easier, use the aid of various colours to better organize each person’s schedule. Here’s some inspiration for large calendars that keep you organized and look great too.

Setup for maintenance: Okay, so you’ve cleaned and de-cluttered your home and you’re all ready for school and productivity, but how do you keep everything nice and organized? Setting yourself for success is the key, and that means having lots of places and tools to keep everyone organized: storage containers, shelving, drawers, etc. For a quick DIY trick, try reusing old items in your house like coffee mugs and jars for storage containers or pen holders, etc.